Kernel density estimation

Kernel density estimation is like looking at a bunch of different hills on a map. When you look at a map you can see the hills and how big they are. Kernel density estimation is a way to figure out how big the hills are without having to look at a map. It uses a special formula to figure out the size of the hills based on a bunch of different pieces of information like how many people live around the hill and what kinds of plants grow there. By looking at this information, the formula can figure out how big the hills are.